The revised St Theodore's Way is ready to walk!
St Theodore's Way is a Pilgrim Way for the Diocese of Salford from the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Salford to the Christian Heritage Centre, Theodore House, Stonyhurst College. In 2026 the route was revised to visit the Schoenstatt Shrine at Kearsley.
Theodore of Tarsus was Archbishop of Canterbury from 668 to 690. He helped to unify the English Church after the Synod of Whitby and successfully promoted Anglo-Saxon scholarship.
The Way follows the River Irwell north out of Salford, diverting to the Church of St Sebastian in Charlestown. The route follows the Salford Trail, through Clifton Country Park to reach the Schoenstatt Shrine in Kearsley. The next section follows disused canals for much of the way to Bolton. Here the Church of St Patrick and the former Ukrainian Catholic Church of All Saints are visited. The route continues north passing the Church of the Holy Infant & St Anthony in Astley Bridge, to Dimple, then follows the Wilton Weavers Way across moorland. The Way descends to the Church of the Sacred Heart in Darwen and then continues north passing near to the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Higher Croft. The Way traverses Blackburn passing Blackburn Anglican Cathedral, the Church of St Anne, the Polish Catholic Centre and the Church of the Holy Souls. The Way then crosses farmland to the former Cistercian Abbey and the Church of the English Martyrs at Whalley. Finally the Way crosses farmland to reach the Church of St Peter and Theodore House at Stonyhurst College.
